Quick mount isolator stand adaptor

ABSTRACT

An adaptor for removably mounting a hand held type microphone on the end of a shaft of a stand, such as a floor or desk stand, which has a housing defining a cavity and a block of compliant material provided with a recess for receiving the end of the shaft of the stand disposed within the cavity. The block is compressed or deformed within the cavity of the housing by a plunger actuated by a cam to securely lock the housing on the end of the stand shaft. The microphone is attached to the cam, thus providing a swivel mount for the microphone. The adaptor utilizes one swivel position of the cam releasing stress on the compliant block to release the adaptor from the end of the shaft and other positions of the cam to stress the compliant block to engage the end of the shaft.

United States Patent [191 Hagey I 1 Dec. 2, 1975 l l QUICK MOUNTISOLATOR STAND ADAPTOR [75] Inventor: Lee Hagey, Buchanan, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Electro-Voice,Incorporated,

Buchanan, Mich [221 Filed: Oct. 23, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 517,079

[52] US. Cl 179/149; 179/178 [51] Int. Cl. 1104M [/14 [58] Field ofSearch 179/149, 146 R, 147 178 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,414,686 12/1968 Reinthaler 179/149 3,452,955 7/1969 Hartwig179/146 R X Primary ExaminerWilliam C. Cooper Attorney, Agenl. 0rFirmBurmeister, York Palmatier, Hamby & Jones 1571 ABSTRACT An adaptorfor removably mounting a hand held type microphone on the end of a shaftof a stand, such as a floor or desk stand which has a housing defining acavity and a block of compliant material provided with a recess forreceiving the end of the shaft of the stand disposed within the cavity.The block is compressed or deformed within the cavity of the housing bya plunger actuated by a cam to securely lock the housing on the end ofthe stand shaft. The microphone is attached to the cam, thus providing aswivel mount for the microphone. The adaptor utilizes one swivelposition of the cam releasing stress on the compliant block to releasethe adaptor from the end of the shaft and other positions of the cam tostress the compliant block to engage the end of the shaft.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures U.S. Patfint Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 1 of23,924,083

U.S. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,924,083

QUICK MOUNT ISOLATOR STAND ADAPTOR The present invention relatesgenerally to microphones and more specifically to an adaptor which mayreceive and engage a hand held type microphone and which is adapted tobe removably mounted on a stand.

The traditional adaptor for mounting the usual hand held microphone witha handle of circular cross section to a floor stand or desk stand isscrewed onto the shaft of the floor stand, generally requiring arelatively large number of turns to complete mounting of the adaptoronto the shaft of the floor stand. Also, tradional adaptors use a springloaded circular sleeve section for securing the adaptor to themicrophone, the microphone cable and handle being pressed into thesleeve from one end. Such adaptors have proven to be satisfactory foruses in which the microphone remains on the stand for relatively longperiods of time, but such adaptors are unsatisfactory for use by aperformer who wishes to carry the microphone with him for portions ofhis act and return it to the stand at other times. The art has alsodeveloped a clevis or cradle type adaptor, open at the top, which may bescrewed onto the end of the shaft of the microphone stand and whichreceives the handle of the microphone by snap action through the openend of the clevis. Such clevis type adaptors, however, cannot receive alive microphone because of the excessive noise generated by the activeinsertion or removal of the microphone into the clevis. It is an objectof the present invention to provide an adaptor for mounting a microphoneon the stand which permits the live microphone to be removed from orreturned to the stand.

It is generally desirable to isolate a microphone from the mechanicalvibrations and shocks which may be transmitted through a microphonestand to the microphone. A number of rubber suspension systems orisolators have been developed by the art for this purpose, but suchsuspensions have not reduced the difficulty with which a microphone isremoved from a microphone stand. It is an object of the presentinvention to provide an adaptor for mounting a microphone on amicrophone stand which facilitates removal of the microphone from thestand and which dampens and isolates the microphone from mechanicalvibrations and shock which may be transmitted through the stand.

The adaptors used to mount a microphone on a microphone stand of theprior art have generally required the performer to utilize both hands toremove the microphone from the adaptor. It is an object of the presentinvention to provide an adaptor for mounting a microphone on a stand inwhich the microphone may be removed from the adaptor or placed on theadaptor by use of one hand only.

The present invention utilizes an adaptor having a housing whichpivotally mounts a clevis for securing a microphone. The housingcontains a cavity which has an opening and a body of compliant materialis disposed within the cavity for receiving the end of the shaft of amicrophone stand, and has a recess confronting the opening. The clevisis mounted on a cam which is pivotally mounted on the housing andadapted to deform or compress the compliant body to secure the shaftwithin the cavity in all but one pivotal position of the clevis. and thecam releases the stress on the compliant body in the one position of theclevis to release the adaptor on the shaft and permit removal of theadaptor from the shaft.

For a more complete description of the present invention, reference ismade to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the shaft of themicrophone stand, the adaptor, and a microphone in position on theadaptor, the adaptor being locked on the shaft of the microphone stand;

- FIG. la is a sectional view of the adaptor taken along the line la-laof FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the adaptor and shaft of the microphonestand taken on the same plane as FIG. 1, the adaptor being in positionfor removal from the shaft;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the adaptor taken along the line 3-3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the adaptor taken along the line 44 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view ofa modified clevis taken in the same planeas FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the modified clevis taken along the line6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of an adaptor employing the clevis ofFIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIG. 1 a fragment of a shaft [0 of a microphone stand is illustratedsupporting a microphone I2 by means of an adaptor l4 constructedaccording to the present invention. The adaptor 14 has a clevis 16 whichis journalled on a split pin 18 supported by a housing 20. The housing20 has an opening 22 which accommodates the shaft 10. The clevis l6removably mounts the microphone 12 on the adaptor 14.

The housing 20 is constructed of rigid material, such as die cast zinc,and provided with a cavity 24 at one end in communication with theopening 22 for receiving the shaft 10. The cavity 24 is cylindrical andis formed by end wall 25a, cylindrical sidewall 25b, and end wall 250,and the opening 22 is located centrally of one end wall 250. The end ofthe housing 20 opposite the opening 22 is provided with a slot 26 whichextends inwardly to the wall 250 which separates the cavity 24 from theslot 26. The wall 25c has an aperture 30 extending between the cavity 24and the slot 26.

The slot 26 forms a pair of tongues 32 and 34 at the slotted end of thehousing 20, and each of these tongues is provided with one of the twomating portions of the split pin 18, which are secured together, as bycement, to form the split pin 18. The clevis 16 has a depending flatplate shaped cam 40 provided with a cylindrical channel 42 extendingnormally therethrough which is journalled about the pin 18.

The cavity 24 within the housing accommodates a plunger 44 and acylindrical block 46 of plastic yieldable material disposed between theplunger 44 and the opening 22. The block 46 is provided with a recess 48which extends inwardly from the opening 22 forming a surface 50 which iscylindrical and coaxial with the opening 22. The recess 48 terminates ata distance from the plunger 44 to provide a wall 52 of yieldablematerial between the recess 48 and the plunger 44. The exterior surfaceof the block 46, designated 53, abuts the interior surface of the wallsof the housing forming the cavity 24.

The plunger 44 has a flat plate portion 54 of circular cross sectionwhich extends across the cavity 24 between the wall 25c and the flatsurface of the block 46 formed by the wall 52, and the plate portion 54is movable with respect to the wall 250 of the housing. The plunger 44also has a protuberance 56 which extends through the aperture 30 in thewall 25c. The protuberance 56 is semi-cylindrical with the axis of theprotuberance parallel to the axis of the pin 18, thus forming a partcylindrical surface 58 abutting the cam 40.

The cam 40 also has a part cylindrical surface 60 extending from asubstantially flat forward side 62 of the cam 40, the flat surface 62being on the same side of the clevis 16 as the forward direction of themicrophone 12. The cam 40 also has a part cylindrical recess 64extending therein from the rearward side 66 thereof with an axisparallel to the axis of the pin 18, the rearward side 66 of the cambeing generally parallel to and opposite the forward side 62. The recess64 has the same radius of curvature as the protuberance 56 of theplunger 44 and is adapted to accommodate the protuberance 56.

In FIG. 2, the clevis l6, functioning as a lever, has been rotated onthe pin 18 with respect to the stand shaft to position the microphone 12substantially in alignment with the shaft 10, and if the shaft 10 isvertically disposed. the microphone 12 will be pointing upwardly. Inthis position, the protuberance 56 of the plunger 44 is disposed withinthe recess 64 of the cam 40, thus permitting the plunger 44 to movetoward the wall 25c of the housing and releasing the stress on the block46. The block 46 is constructed of a relatively dense but compressibleelastomeric material, such as rubber or plastic foam, such aspolyethylene or polyurethane, or the block 46 may be composed of anessentially incompressible elastomeric material which, when stressed byplunger 44, grips shaft 10 by elastic flow to conform to the stresseddimensions while maintaining an essentially constant volume, i.e.,decreased axial length and increased wall thickness. Release of stresson the block 46 permits the shaft to be readily inserted or withdrawnfrom the recess 48 in the block 46 and through the opening 22, therebyremoving the adaptor l4 and microphone 12 from the shaft 10 of thestand. The opening 22 is larger in diameter than the recess 48 andcoaxial therewith, thus assuring removal of the shaft 10 from theadaptor 14 without contact of the metal shaft against the metal housing20, which would tend to create a shock capable of detection by a livemicrophone.

The clevis 16 may be rotated counterclockwise on the pin 18 from theposition shown in FIG. 2, to position the protuberance 56 in abutmentwith the surface 60 of the cam 40, as illustrated in FIG. 1. When theprotuberance 56 abuts any portion of the surface 60 of the cam 40, theplunger 44 is forced from the wall c of the housing against the block 46of compliant material, thus placing the compliant material of the block46 in compression between the surface of the shaft 10 and the surface 55of the cavity 24. When the block 46 is under compression, the shaft 10is locked within the cavity 24 and cannot be removed. As illustrated,the end of the shaft 10 is threaded at 68, since microphone stand shaftsare generally threaded at their end, but it should be understood that itis not necessary to thread the shaft [0 for use with the adaptor 14 ofthe present invention.

The cam is provided with a protruding nipple 70 between the cylindricalsurface 60 and the recess 64. The nipple 70 acts as a detent when theprotuberance 56 is abutting the part cylindrical surface 60, thuslocking the adaptor 14 on the shaft 10, to prevent accidental rotationof the clevis 16 on the pin 18 to release the adaptor 14 from the shaft10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 20 is fabricated in twoparts, 20A and 208. The two parts, 20A and 20B, are mating andsubstantially identical. The two parts, 20A and 20B, are securedtogether by the split pin 18, one portion of which is integral with thetongue 32 and the other portion of which is integral with the tongue 34,and mating flanges, including flanges 72 and 74 at the interfaces of thetwo parts, 20A and 208. The two portions of the split pin 18 are securedtogether in the particular construction described by cement.

The clevis 16 functions as means to hold the microphone 12 in position,and while the conventional clevis structures of the prior art may beutilized, a preferred and novel clevis is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and4. The clevis 16 has a generally U-shaped portion 76 which extends fromthe cam 40 and is open on its side opposite the cam 40 to form a slot 78for receiving the microphone 12. The slot is slightly wider at itsforward end than the rearward end to accommodate the slightly truncatedcasing of the microphone 12. The interior surface of the U-shapedportion 76 of the clevis is a segment ofa slightly truncated cone and alayer 80 of compliant material, such as a solid foam of rubber orplastic including polyethylene or polyurethane, is disposed on thissurface. The U-shaped portion 76 of the clevis 16 extends beyond theends of the layer 80 of compliant material to protect the compliantmaterial when the microphone is snapped in through slot 78, but amicrophone positioned in the clevis abuts only the compliant layer 80.

The body 46 of compliant material and the layer 80 of compliant materialboth function to isolate the microphone from vibrations or shockimpressed upon the shaft 10 from the structure upon which the microphonestand rests. In this manner the sensitivity of the microphone to shockor vibrations is materially reduced.

Further, the adaptor 14 provides extreme versatility for a performerutilizing the microphone 12. A live microphone may be removed from thestand by simply rotating the clevis 16 to the position of FIG. 2 andwithdrawing the shaft 10 of the stand from the adaptor 14. This may beaccomplished without introducing undue noise into the electricalreproduction of the microphone, since the microphone is protectedagainst shock and vibration by the compliant layer 80'and since theshaft 10 of the stand is being withdrawn from a compliant body 46. Ifthe performer chooses, he may simply slip the microphone from the clevis16 with the shaft [0 locked to the adaptor 14, as shown in FIG. 1 andcarry the microphone without the stand.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternate construction for the clevis whichmay be used in place of the clevis 16 of FIGS. 1 through 4. The cam 40of the clevis is identical to that described in FIGS. 1 through 4 andwill not be further described. Further, the clevis of FIGS. 5 and 6,designated 16A, has a U-shaped portion 76A substantially identical tothe U-shaped portion "76 of FIGS. 1 through 4, and only the differencestherein will be described.

The U-shaped portion 76A has a part conical truncated interior surface82, but this surface is provided with a pair of elongated grooves 84 and86 adjacent to the slot 78. Each of the grooves contain an elongatedstrip 88 of circular cross section of elastomeric material, such asrubber or plastic including polyurethane or polyethylene, and the strip88 protrudes slightly inwardly from the surface 82 of the U-shapedportion 76A. A layer 80A of compliant material, similar to the layer 80of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 4 extends along the surface 82 fromthe slot 84 to the slot 86. This construction has the advantage ofproviding additional cushioning between the clevis and the microphonewhen inserting the microphone through the slot 78, since the elastomerstrips 88 may be made of larger cross section, and may be inserted inslots 84 and 86 of greater depth than the elastomeric strip, therebyproviding a gap illustrated at 90 for accommodation of the compressedstrip during insertion of the microphone. Further, the strips 88 willabsorb the wear from repeated insertions of a microphone into theclevis, and may be replaced, thereby protecting the layer 80A from wearat its ends. The strips 88 are formed integral with the layer 80A tofacilitate mounting the strips in the grooves 84 and 86 and securing thestrip in proper position.

Those skilled in the art will readily devise many constructions and usesfor the present invention beyond that here disclosed and described. Itis therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be notlimited by the foregoing specification, but rather only by the intendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An adaptor for removably mounting a hand held type microphone on theend of a shaft comprising a housing having a first portion and a secondportion disposed adjacent thereto, said first portion having a cavitytherein with a wall between the first and second portion of the housingand an orifice in the wall between the first and the second portion ofthe housing, said first portion of the housing also having an opening inthe wall thereof communicating with the cavity and adapted to receivethe end of the shaft, a cam, means operatively associated with thesecond portion of the housing for rotatably mounting the cam directlyconfronting the orifice in the wall of the first portion of the housing,a plunger disposed within the cavity of the first portion of the housingand having a protuberance extending outwardly from the cavity intoslidable abutment with the cam, said cam having a first segment ofgreater diameter and a second segment of lesser diameter in slidableengagement with the protrusion on the plunger, a block of compliantmaterial disposed within the cavity between the plunger and the opening,said block having a recess aligned with and confronting the openingadapted to receive the end of the shaft, a lever mounted on the cam forpositioning the cam with the first or second segment thereof in abutmentwith the plunger, said block being compressed by the plunger when thefirst segment of the cam engages the plunger and being released fromcompression when the second segment of the cam engages the plunger, andmeans mounted on the housing for mounting a hand held type microphone tothe housing.

2. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 1 wherein the secondportion of the housing includes a pair of parallel tongues extendingoutwardly from the wall of the first portion on opposite sides of theopening therein, and the means for rotatably mounting the cam comprisesa pin mounted at opposite ends on the tongues, the cam being providedwith a channel journalled about the pin.

3. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 2 wherein the camcomprises a flat plate having opposite surfaces confronting oppositetongues respectively, the channel extending normal to the plane of theplate, said cam having a first cylindrical surface coaxial with the pinadapted to slidably abut the protuberance, and said cam having a secondsurface adjacent to the first surface extending inwardly from the radiusof the first surface and adapted to accommodate the protuberance.

4. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 3 wherein theprotuberance is part cylindrical with the cylindrical axis thereofdisposed parallel to the pin, and the second surface of the cam is partcylindrical with the cylindrical axis parallel to and spaced from theaxis of the pin.

5. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 3 wherein the cam isprovided with nipple disposed between the first and second surfaces andextending radially outwardly from the first and second surfaces.

6. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 1 wherein the cavitywithin the first portion of the housing is symmetrical about the axistraversing the center of the aperture and opening and the plunger andunstressed block substantially fill the cavity.

7. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 6 wherein the plungerhas a flat plate portion of larger cross section than the aperture andthe protuberance extends from the plate portion through the aperture.

8. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 1 where a clevis forholding a microphone is mounted on the cam, whereby the clevis functionsas a lever for positioning the cam.

9. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 8 wherein the cleviscomprises a part conical portion with a slot disposed on the sideopposite the cam for receiving a microphone, the interior surface ofsaid portion having a layer of compliant material of substantiallyuniform thickness extending toward both sides of the slot.

10. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 9 wherein theinterior surface of the clevis is provided with a pair of straightgrooves, one of said grooves being adjacent to each side of the slot,the layer of compliant material on the interior surface of the clevisextending between the grooves, and a strip of compliant material isdisposed within each of the grooves.

i i i

1. An adaptor for removably mounting a hand held type microphone on theend of a shaft comprising a housing having a first portion and a secondportion disposed adjacent thereto, said first portion having a cavitytherein with a wall between the first and second portion of the housingand an orifice in the wall between the first and the second portion ofthe housing, said first portion of the housing also having an opening inthe wall thereof communicating with the cavity and adapted to receivethe end of the shaft, a cam, means operatively associated with thesecond portion of the housing for rotatably mounting the cam directlyconfronting the orifice in the wall of the first portion of the housing,a plunger disposed within the cavity of the first portion of the housingand having a protuberance extending outwardly from the cavity intoslidable abutment with the cam, said cam having a first segment ofgreater diameter and a second segment of lesser diameter in slidableengagement with the protrusion on the plunger, a block of compliantmaterial disposed within the cavity between the plunger and the opening,said block having a recess aligned with and confronting the openingadapted to receive the end of the shaft, a lever mounted on the cam forpositioning the cam with the first or second segment thereof in abutmentwith the plunger, said block being compressed by the plunger when thefirst segment of the cam engages the plunger and being released fromcompression when the second segment of the cam engages the plunger, andmeans mounted on the housing for mounting a hand held type microphone tothe housing.
 2. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 1 whereinthe second portion of the housing includes a pair of parallel tonguesextending outwardly from the wall of the first portion on opposite sidesof the opening therein, and the means for rotatably mounting the camcomprises a pin mounted at opposite ends on the tongues, the cam beingprovided with a channel journalled about the pin.
 3. An adaptorcomprising the combination of claim 2 wherein the cam comprises a flatplate having opposite surfaces confronting opposite tonguesrespectively, the channel extending normal to the plane of the plate,said cam having a first cylindrical surface coaxial with the pin adaptedto slidably abut the protuberance, and said cam having a second surfaceadjacent to the first surface extending inwardly from the radius of thefirst surface and adapted to accommodate the protuberance.
 4. An adaptorcomprising the combination of claim 3 wherein the protuberance is partcylindrical with the cylindrical axis thereof disposed parallel to thepin, and the second surface of the cam is part cylindrical with thecylindrical axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of the pin.
 5. Anadaptor comprising the combination of claim 3 wherein the cam isprovided with nipple disposed between the first and second surfaces andextending radially outwardly from the first and second surfaces.
 6. Anadaptor comprising the combination of claim 1 wherein the cavity withinthe first portion of the housing is symmetrical about the axistraversing the center of the aperture and opening and the plunger andunstressed block substantially fill the cavity.
 7. An adaptor comprisingthe combination of claim 6 wherein the plunger has a flat plate portionof larger cross section than the aperture and the protuberance extendsfrom the plate portion through the aperture.
 8. An adapTor comprisingthe combination of claim 1 where a clevis for holding a microphone ismounted on the cam, whereby the clevis functions as a lever forpositioning the cam.
 9. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 8wherein the clevis comprises a part conical portion with a slot disposedon the side opposite the cam for receiving a microphone, the interiorsurface of said portion having a layer of compliant material ofsubstantially uniform thickness extending toward both sides of the slot.10. An adaptor comprising the combination of claim 9 wherein theinterior surface of the clevis is provided with a pair of straightgrooves, one of said grooves being adjacent to each side of the slot,the layer of compliant material on the interior surface of the clevisextending between the grooves, and a strip of compliant material isdisposed within each of the grooves.